There are some games out there that I feel are written specifically to make a GM's life easier. Surely any RPG worth its salt will dedicate some time and word count to a GM's section to talk about things like the natures of the setting, backstory, premade npcs, and maybe a little discussion about the job of a GM. However, there are the rare few (probably less than 10%) that go above and beyond. These rpgs recognize the instrumental role of the GM and are willing to spend considerable space to discussing the craft. Luckily for us GMs, these GM-friendly RPGs are becoming increasingly common and are getting the accolades they deserve (I don't think it is a coincidence that my list below mostly includes rpgs produced in the last 3 years).

The Next Level was conceived of as a vehicle to discuss advanced GMing techniques that I have developed and learned in my years of gaming. However, the series is also supposed to be an area where I can highlight great ideas from other experienced GMs. As such, it's not surprising to discover some of the best advice you will ever find is in RPGs themselves. Every RPG writer and author is, at heart, a gamemaster. In fact, I think it is safe to say that every RPG writer is simply a GM pushing their craft to a logical conclusion ... sharing their good gaming experiences with as wide an audience as possible.

There are some great books out there that are specifically written for GMs (many of these books even say "GM" or "Storyteller" or some other clear moniker in the title), however I want to help point out the books out there a GM might pass over. I want to focus on the games out there that have some great GM suggestions buried within the rest of the text- buried GMing treasure. These are books that while not specifically for GMs are absolutely wonderful for learning about the craft and should not be missed.

So, it's about time we look at some of the best of the best--the rpgs that you, as a GM, should read (and why):

Burning Wheel (Burning Wheel games/Luke Crane), in my opinion, started the recent renaissance of GM-friendly rpgs. The core set is broken up into two books, one that focuses on the system (the GM book) and the other focuses on character building (the player book). The fact that the books are separated shows a certain emphasis on the GM vs. player demands. The real gem of Burning Wheel is the fact that interspersed throughout the book are clearly defined additions, insights, and advice from the designer. Reading Burning Wheel is an insight into a great GM's mind and the reasons why he decided to make the game the way he did (a process that is very similar to developing a weekly gaming session). The points brought up are almost universally applicable, even outside of Burning Wheel. Just as useful, knowing why a designer chose to make a rule or a decision for the reasons they did is particularly valuable to a GM and can help prompt good decision making in a campaign. For those reasons and more, Burning Wheel is one of the most GM-friendly books in existence.

Burning Wheel has a sister game, Burning Empires. BE is more refined and comprehensive than BW, but I still feel BW is where it is at for GM advice. For its part, BE is absolutely great for its discussion of player and GM interaction and is worth looking into on its own merits. All told though, for prospective GMs, BW is where it is at.

Recently, Passages (by Blue Devil Games) uses the same marking mechanism to clearly point out advice and developer suggestions. I feel a lot of the general advice and insight you get from reading Burning Wheel is generally repeated in Passages. On the other hand, Passages gives its own unique insight in how the GM is supposed to interact and use the system/setting and is useful on its own for its ability to independently analyze the GM/game interaction (from the point of view of Passages, of course). Passages also shines in that it gives a GM some very specific genre advice (like some other really good GM-friendly games I discuss below).

Promethean: the Created (White Wolf) is a beautiful game from a GM's standpoint. Promethean is the most recent iteration of the Storyteller line, a line that saw its genesis in Ars Magica and later, Vampire: the Masquerade. The "Storyteller" style of gaming that White Wolf products often promote were some of the first to put a stronger emphasis on the GM and what the GM can/should do in a game. After well over a decade of developing games and learning about storytelling and Gming, White Wolf gives us Promethean.

Promethean stands as a GM resource for its amazing "Chapter 4: Storytelling and Antagonists." This is the single best GMing section in any game and should be essential reading. Out of the 67 or so pages of Promethean's Chapter 4 about one half of the chapter is dedicated to some very good advice and suggestions on how to run the game. Promethean is very much about spiritual journeys and internal discovery and all that jazz. As such, it is also a very challenging game to run. Promethean's authors (throughout the book) made a distinct effort to provide the GM with as many hints, tricks and pieces of advice to make Promethean a very playable game. Promethean has a very distinct style of play, but the issues tackled in the game can easily be yanked into other introspective games.

Promethean, as a challenging game to GM with some very good advice to make things easier, is in some good company. There are a number of other games out there that are willing to tackle complicated gaming styles or settings and successfully do so specifically because of some particularly strong GM advice. One of my favorites is Over the Edge 2nd ed. (Atlas Games). OtE is a very smart game set in one of the most confusing and open-ended settings I have ever encountered. On the face of it, OtE is a very intimidating game to run. To the rescue is Chapter 7, a collection of some of the best advice Robin D. Laws has written*. In particular, the advice in Over the Edge does a great job of helping a GM plan a campaign and how individual adventures integrate into that overall framework. Unknown Armies 2nd ed (again, by Atlas Games) is yet another challenging setting that comes together because of the excellent GM advice. Chapter 18, "GM Campaigns," of UA is especially good and goes into useful detail on using themes, specific writing tropes, and utilizing change for maximum impact.

There are a number of games that do a good job of giving genre-specific advice. I have found a couple that have been particularly enlightening. Dogs in the Vineyard (Lumpley Games) is a great game that has a distinct genre-feel and accompanying GM advice to help treat that genre with the appropriate respect (plus, it is filled with some great general GM advice on task resolution). I also like The Seventh Seal (1st ed by Creative Illusions and the 2nd ed by Morrigan Press). Seventh Seal does a remarkable job of presenting a tough subject (Christian faith as a roleplaying opportunity) and giving the GM the advice and suggestions to treat the genre appropriately. Finally, Spirit of the Century (Evil Hat Productions) gives some great advice in its last chapters about how to approach the pulp genre. Recreating the feeling of a pulp campaign can be a bit tricky since many of us in the hobby are too young to have been part of that particular phenomena. Spirit of the Century gives some simple but effective advice on how to approach pulpy games and generate the right type of play in the players.

All in all, it is worth it to take the time and read the GMing sections of your favorite rpgs. Often, these sections are little more than some paltry backstory and a few example NPCs. However, the few games that do take the time to really address the needs of the GM are exceptional resources that should not be passed up. Even games you don't plan on ever running may have some little invaluable tidbit of advice that you would have missed otherwise. In Summary:

1. Just reading an RPG can be a very enlightening experience.
2. Read RPGs, lots of them.